New Canaan Nature Center announces annual Secret Gardens Tour

Published 12:20 pm, Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Annual Secret Gardens Tour benefitting the New Canaan Nature Center will take place Friday, June 3. The popular tour has been a fundraiser for the New Canaan Nature Center for more than 20 years and is an opportunity for homeowners, gardeners of all levels and anyone who appreciates the beauty of the outdoors to be inspired by several outstanding garden settings. The self-guided tour takes place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., allowing attendees to visit the gardens at their own pace and on their own schedule.

The 2011 tour will feature a wide variety of premier "town and country" gardens throughout New Canaan. Gardens range from historic estates with extensive grounds, to in-town "gems" that make creative use of small outdoor spaces. An addition to hundreds of varieties of annuals and perennials, attendees will see a wide variety of majestic specimen trees and delightful woodland gardens. The committee, headed by co-chairmen Becky Barlow, Penelope Jones and Catharine Sturgess, has worked since last fall to select the gardens and plan the tour logistics.

New Canaan Nature Center welcomes Elise Landscapes & Nursery and the Bank of New Canaan as the lead sponsors of the tour. Hobbs Care, a division of Hobbs, Inc. is providing generous support by sponsoring the luncheon this year, which will feature a gourmet meal from New Canaan's Fabulous Feasts. Attendees can enjoy their lunch at the New Canaan Nature Center or take it with them to eat at their convenience. Other sponsors to date include Almstead Tree Service, Bartlett Tree Experts, Earthscapes, Gault Energy & Stone, Glen Gate Pool & Property, Grand Entrance Gates, Hoffman Landscapes, Hutchinson Tree Company, New Canaan Alarm, New Canaan Veterinary Hospital, New Canaan Wine Merchants, Oliver Nurseries and Zumbach's Coffee. Contact Hilary Wittmann at 203-966-9577 ext. 21 for sponsorship information.

Tour tickets are $75 including lunch or $50 for the tour only. Tour tickets will be $60 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased at the New Canaan Nature Center; call 203-966-9577 ext. 50, or visit www.newcanaannature.org.